A City Dweller’s Guide to a Magical, Mystical Weekend in Marfa, Texas

Ah, Marfa, Texas. The small town of about 2,000 residents has achieved almost mythic status in the past five years thanks to an influx of art institutions, stores, and New Yorkers and Angelenos who have decamped there looking for something simpler. Snuggled in a vast expanse of desert, nearly 20 miles from the next town and some 200 from the nearest major airport, the place is the subject of much modern lore—people return awestruck from the tours of the Chinati Foundation, filled with wonder from the desert landscape and starry nights, and amped up on their great Instagram snap in front of Prada Marfa. Needless to say, Marfa has amassed a lot of hype.

But unlike other buzzy travel locales like Puglia, Italy, or Mexico City, Marfa asks its visitors to cut it in the rugged desert landscape, a reality that isn’t always magical, especially for those accustomed to the rhythm and necessities of city life. It was with that knowledge that I packed a carry-on bag and began the journey west for the third-annual Marfa Myths music festival, put on by Mexican Summer and Ballroom Marfa. Begun in 2014, the fest has proven instrumental in introducing new people—be it musicians, journalists, photographers, or just some college kids looking for off-the-grid fun—to the town. This year’s festival, with headliners No Age and Connan Mockasin’s Wet Dream, was the largest yet, swelling Marfa with 900 music lovers, who booked up nearly every hotel, RV, and rental car in the area.

For a city girl with Larry David levels of neuroses, the transition to smaller-than-small-town Texas was jarring. Not only is the landscape about as different from New York’s as they come, but also daily life has a slower, more pleasant pace that can give a person used to the constant hum of happenings a low-grade panic. Here, a practical guide for the city dweller on how to survive a weekend in West Texas—from someone who did it with a few bumps along the way.

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Donald Judd cubes on the grounds of the Chinati Foundation

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / Buyenlarge / Getty Images

What to pack.

March weather in Marfa varies dramatically. On windy evenings, temperatures can drop down into the 30s, only to creep into the 70s the next sunny afternoon. I learned the hard way, shivering in the early morning in a miniskirt and then sweltering through a sun streak in a furry coat. The lesson? Layering is essential. For a weekend jaunt, I’d recommend sticking to jeans with tees, hefty sweaters, and a light jacket. If you opt not to rent a car—those used to walking Manhattan blocks will find the mile jaunt to the Donald Judd–founded Chinati Foundation an easy trip—make sure you have comfortable sneakers or boots that can withstand walking on gravel and lots and lots of dust.

Traveling to Marfa.

I could have traveled to London and back in the time it took to get to Marfa, which—with flights, car rides, and delays included—entered into the 15-hour range. Most carriers will likely route their travel through the El Paso airport, which provides the shortest drive to town at just under three hours. Traveling through small airports such as this comes with delays almost guaranteed.

Driving through the desert, however, is truly magical. El Paso boasts some of the craziest signage I’ve ever seen, and the swooping hills and mountains of the desert are gorgeous at any hour of the day. Rest stops are few and far between, so make sure to grab snacks and water before you depart. Prada Marfa is an essential stop about 30 minutes outside Marfa and looks best at sunrise or sunset.

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The Hotel Paisano

Photo: Alamy

Where to stay.

Hotels in Marfa are booming. I opted for the historic route at Hotel Paisano, a spot with retro and kitschy decor (a boar’s head is mounted in the lobby) that hosted James Dean, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Taylor while they filmed Giant in 1956. It offers up free WiFi, a pool, and a cute shopping gallery stuffed with quirky treasures.

Just down the block from the Paisano is the Hotel Saint George, a spot so modern you might think you’ve traveled back to Soho while inside. Sparse, modern, and white, the place is filled with amenities like Aesop toiletries and features an Illy espresso bar in the lobby.

For a marriage of the Western and the contemporary, try the Thunderbird, a sky blue–color motel on the town’s main road. It comes with typewriters and a library of vinyl records, but it’s the cactus-trimmed wall that frames the place that is really the stuff of Instagram dreams.

Small town logistics to know once you arrive.

The essentials you’ll need right away: sunscreen, sunglasses, cash, and comfortable shoes. Marfa boasts three ATMs total, none from major banks, so get cash out in advance. The streets, especially in the early hours, can be completely empty—which to anyone used to passersby at all hours of the day and night can stir an uneasy feeling. Not many people walk through the town, so expect to be the only person on the sidewalk, when there is one, at least. Cell phone service is unreliable, though most locations offer at least one bar, so it’s best to plan and map out your daily stops in advance.

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Food Shark Truck

Photo: Courtesy of Food Shark

Where—and what—to eat.

Food is tricky in Marfa. Restaurants are sparse and have a very European sensibility about them—i.e., their hours are flexible, they run out of ingredients regularly, and the whole experience is very “what you see is what you get.” It’s a good idea to stop by the Get Go grocery store once you arrive and load your hotel room with snacks, just in case you miss the cutoff at a local haunt.

For breakfast, try Do Your Thing or Frama, both coffee spots with light fare. Do Your Thing has a more homespun spirit, with handmade toast and a four- to seven-minute wait time for a latte; Frama is a standard cup-of-joe place with delicious smoothies.

Food Shark, a Middle Eastern food truck, is truly delicious—so much so that the owners should probably consider a drive cross-country to serve hungry kids outside the Bowery Ballroom. Most of its offerings are served to go and can be eaten in a small garden area or on a blue school bus the owners have converted into a dining room. I’d recommend the Marfalafel or the hummus salad. For late-night munchies, the owners of Food Shark operate the Late Night Museum of Electronic Wonders & Grilled Cheese. Put bluntly, it is paradise. Open only after 9:30 p.m., the venue allows for snacking on sandwiches with other night owls and playing video games on TV models you thought only existed on The Jetsons.

For drinks and snacks, Capri is a popular venue with a killer hibiscus margarita and outdoor fire pits and hammocks. It has a bustling vibe and was the only place I heard rap music for the entire duration of the trip. Close your eyes and you’re in a Brooklyn backyard. Those looking for a more Texan experience should try Planet Marfa, a watering hole littered with tables, string lights, and signs and topped off with a sunken floor teepee at its center. The beers are cheap and the crowd is a great mix of ranchers, hipsters, and tourists.

A proper sit-down meal comes at Jett’s Grill, where portions are Texas-size but delicious. Carnivores will enjoy a highbrow take on

chicken-fried steak made with a pistachio rub, while the salads are large enough to stave off the munchies for the vegetarians out there. Don’t miss the margaritas either.

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Heron Oblivion performs during the Marfa Myths Music Festival, 2016

Photo: Alex Marks / Courtesy of Marfa Myths

The music and art scenes.

Capri, Planet Marfa, El Cosmico, and Lost Horse Saloon host musical performances throughout the year, but the best way to test-drive the music scene in Marfa is to go during Marfa Myths. Year after year, the participating bands have an approachable feel—I spotted Connan Mockasin eating falafel and wandering around—and the festival makes a point of touring through all of the town’s venues to give guests a full experience. This year’s highs included Heron Oblivion at dusk in the yard of Ballroom Marfa; Maria Chavez performing in the Donald Judd Foundation yard; Sheer Mag shredding at Capri; and a late-night set by No Age that was truly radical.

As for art, the first things that anyone will recommend to you when you arrive in Marfa are the Donald Judd–related tours. The artist landed in Marfa in 1971 and spent three decades constructing a live-work compound in the center of town and an art foundation, called the Chinati Foundation, on its outskirts. Tours of both happen frequently and are spectacular. Judd’s home and studios are meticulously kept and just as thrilling for experts as for casual followers of his art. Chinati offers up a kilometer of Judd’s concrete sculptures, plus 100 aluminum prisms installed between two former army base buildings. Across from that is a multi-building Dan Flavin installation of fluorescent lights that is as close to transcendental that you can get without reading Thoreau.

Ballroom Marfa is the biggest and most extensive gallery, hosting exhibits from Dan Colen, Brigid McCaffrey, and Oskar Fischinger. Smaller galleries like Rule Gallery are also worth a stop. The owners of Rule, if you’re nice, will even offer you some tequila.

Nearly every store in Marfa is highly curated and eclectically sparse. Freda is the most popular fashion and lifestyle store, with Ryan Roche knits and Pamela Love jewelry. At Cast and Crew, I made off with a mint green horseshoe, though the store was also hosting an exhibit of painted Eames Chairs. Mirth collects home goods from around the world, but also had an exhibit of skateboards—painted by a 15-year-old local skater—with neon colors and funny animal designs. Marfa Book Company, now in the lobby of the Hotel Saint George, has a happy mix of Texas goods and artsy desk wares.

For something you can’t get anywhere else, go to Cobra Rock Boot Company. Owners Colt Miller and Logan Caldbeck hand-make Cuban-heeled boots in the space, and their machinery is just as interesting as their sturdy creations. Marfa Brand Soap, just next door, produces lemongrass and rosemary soaps on site for the reasonable price of $10. Marfa Museum Thrift Store is an untapped resource of retro vintage pieces that retail in the single digits. I left with a piped blazer and leather belt, which together cost $4. Good luck beating that price in the big city!